breaking competition rules - team usa

Breaking Competition Rules

In effect for 2014 National Championships

USA Taekwondo

One Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909

Telephone: (719) 866-4632 Fax: (719) 866-4642

www.usa-taekwondo.us

Breaking Competition Rules

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Creative Breaking ................................................................................................. 1

2. Power Breaking .................................................................................................... 6

3. Appendix I: Scoring Sheets .................................................................................. 9

USAT Breaking Competition Rules Page 1

Creative Breaking Competition

In Creative Breaking competition, competitors use powerful, correctly executed

Taekwondo hand and foot techniques to break pine boards. Competitors are expected to

display technical skill and proper Taekwondo manner, as well as showmanship and

creativity.

1. General Creative Breaking Competition Guidelines

1. Competitors may choose the kind of techniques and number of boards to break,

up to a maximum of 30 boards. Any Taekwondo striking or kicking technique

may be used, with the exception of head strikes.

2. Competitors must provide their own board holders. (Please note that board

holder credentials are not a pass into the event; person receiving this credential

will need to pick it up in the designated holding area and return it to the holding

area after competition.

3. Competitors and helpers will have three minutes to set up, perform the breaking

routine and clean up all boards, broken boards and wood fragments. Exceeding

the time limit will result in 0.5 point deduction in the final score for each 10

seconds, or fraction thereof, over the time. (Example: 12 seconds over = 1.0

deduction.) If computer scoring is not used, a timer will be provided for each

ring.

4. With the exception of pre-approved mechanical board holders, no props such as

chairs, trampolines, tables, etc. may be used. (Holders may be used as “human

launch pads” for jumping techniques.)

5. There is a maximum of two attempts for each break. Failure to break all of the

boards in a single attempt will result in 0.1 deduction for each missed board.

Failure to complete the break after two attempts will result in a 0.5 point

deduction in the final score, in addition to the penalties for missed boards. A

“Broken Board” is defined as one that is a) completely separated; or b) held

together only by wood strands, such that if one side is held horizontal, the other

side naturally drops perpendicular to the floor.

6. The performance must be confined to the 8m x 8m competition area. A

competitor who crosses the boundary line will receive a 0.5 point deduction for

each violation.

7. Competitors may perform as many breaking techniques as they wish, as long as

they do not exceed the three minute time limit.

8. Boards must be purchased from USAT or a USAT-designated vendor at the

competition venue. Board security procedures for each event will be published

by USAT on or before the first day of registration. Under no circumstance will

competitors provide their own boards.

USAT Competition Rules

9. Standard board sizes:

• 6-9 years: 12 inches by 8 inches and 3/8 inches thick (1/2 inch nominal)

• 10-17 years: 12 inches by 10 inches and 1/2 inches thick (5/8 inch nominal)

• 18+ years: 12 inches by 10 inches and 3/4 inch thick (1 inch nominal)

10. No spacers may be used, including fingers. Holders may not attempt to “help”

the competitor by bending, moving, or pushing the boards; any attempt to do will

results in a 0.5 point deduction for each instance. Any attempt to physically alter

the boards will result in disqualification of the competitor.

11. No bricks, cinder blocks, tiles or any materials other than approved boards and

approved mechanical holders may be brought into the Contest Area. Any

mechanical holders used must be approved by the USAT Organizing Committee

or a designated official prior to competing.

12. Competitors are expected to display self-control and good competition manner.

A display of poor sportsmanship (profanity, etc.) may be penalized by either 0.1

or 0.5, depending upon severity.

2. Scoring Guidelines for Creative Breaking Competition

Judging will be based on three criteria:

a. Difficulty (30%)

b. Number of boards broken (30%)

c. Demonstration of Taekwondo skill & Presentation (40%)

If a competitor fails to break any boards at all, the total score for Difficulty of Techniques

and Number of Boards Broken is “0.” The competitor still receives a score for

Presentation.

2.0. Difficulty

Difficulty is individually assessed by each judge on a scale of 1.0 to 3.0, based on

the judge’s consideration of the difficulty of the overall performance. Here are

guidelines for assessing difficulty:

2.0.1. Difficulty of Kicking Techniques will be assessed on the following order

of superiority:

a. Standing kick technique

b. Kicking technique with turning motion

c. Jumping or flying kick technique

d. Jumping or flying kick with turning motion (the greater the number of

rotations, the higher the assessed difficulty)

e. Multiple breaking using jumping or flying kick

f. Multiple breaking spinning jumping or flying kick

2.0.2 Difficulty of Hand Techniques be assessed on the following order of

superiority:


a. Basic skills such as straight or reverse punch, palm heel strike and

hammer fist

b. More technical skills such as knife hand strike, ridge hand strike and

back fist

c. Advanced skills such as spear finger strike, long punch, chicken beak

strike, etc.

2.0.3. Suspended holding (“i.e., “speed breaking”) is considered more difficult

than fixed holding.

2.0.4. The number of boards broken in a single technique should also be

factored into assessment of difficulty. For example, breaking a single board

with a punch would be low difficulty; breaking three boards with that same

technique would be moderate difficulty; breaking five boards with the same

technique would be considered high difficulty.

2.1. Number of boards is defined as the total number of boards attempted in the

overall performance. (Note that the number of boards broken using each individual

technique is also factored into the overall assessment of difficulty; see Section

2.0.4, above.)

Boards replaced for a second attempt—for example, in a double kick where only

one board is broken—do not count toward the overall total. In addition to the 0.5

point penalty for failing to complete the break after two attempts, there is a 0.1

point penalty for each board not broken during each attempt. Example: A

competitor attempts to break two boards, but only breaks one on the first try, and

only one on the second try; in this case the total deduction would be 0.1 (missed

board) + 0.1 (missed board) + 0.5 (failure to complete the break) = 0.7.

Before the competition, each competitor must accurately communicate to the Ring

Coordinator the number of boards to be attempted, and the Ring Coordinator will

pass this information along to the judges as each break is being set up. The judges

will note how many boards are actually broken during the performance.

2.2. Demonstration of Taekwondo skill will be based on Accuracy, Speed and

Presentation.

2.2.1 Accuracy: Breaking on the first attempt is superior to breaking on the

second attempt, and breaking at the center of the board is superior to

breaking off-center.

2.2.2. Speed: Rapid, smooth, continuous motion is superior to taking extra time

between breaks.

2.2.3. Presentation: In addition to displaying correct Taekwondo technique, this

includes confidence, balance, rhythm, smoothness of performance and

good competition manner from entrance into the Contest Area through the

completion of the performance.


3. Declaration of Penalties

One deduction penalty is equal to 0.5 point. Deduction penalties will be declared by the

referee after the performance is completed by stating the number of deductions, and what

they are for. (Example: “Two deductions for exceeding performance time by 16

seconds”; “Two deductions for going out of the Contest Area.”

The recorder/timekeeper will keep track of time, and will advise the referee if a

competitor exceeds the allowed three minutes for setup, performance and cleanup.

4. Publication of scoring

4.1. The final score shall be announced immediately after totaling the judges’ scores.

4.1.2. When using electronic scoring instruments, Judges shall input points in the

electronic scoring instruments after the breaking performance and total

points shall be automatically displayed on the monitors.

4.1.3. When using manual scoring, the coordinator shall collect each scoring sheet

and convey the results to the recorder immediately after completion of the

breaking. The recorder shall report the score to the Referee and have the

final score displayed or announced.

5. Decision and Declaration of Winner

The winner shall be the contestant who is awarded the highest mean score (calculated to

four decimal points.)

When using the five judge system, the highest and lowest scores will be dropped from the

final total then a mean score calculated by dividing by 3.0000. With the three judge

system, all scores will be used then a mean score calculated by dividing by 3.0000.

In case of a tie, the winner will be selected based on the combined Performance score.

If still tied:

a. Five judge system—The highest and lowest scores will be added back in, and then a

mean score calculated by dividing by 5.0000 to select the winner.

b. Three-judge system—The competitor with fewer Technical Deductions will be the

winner.

c. If the competitors remained tied after these steps, multiple medals will be awarded.


Power Breaking Competition

In Power Breaking competition, competitors use powerful, correctly executed

Taekwondo hand or elbow techniques to break multiple pine boards. The competitor who

breaks to most boards in a single attempt is the winner.

Age divisions for Power Breaking competition are as follows. Note that there are no

Dragon, Ninja, Youth or Cadet divisions for this event.

Division 17 and

Under 29 and

Under 39 and

Under 49 and

Under 59 and

Under Over 59

Age (Years) 15-17 18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+

1. General Power Breaking Competition Guidelines

1. Competitors may use any kind of hand or elbow techniques. Head strikes are not

permitted.

2. Competitors may choose how many boards they will attempt to break.

3. Boards will be set up on a solid base. Mechanical holding jigs—either custom-

made or purchased commercially—may be used. Cinder blocks are not

permitted, and may not be brought into the Contest Area. Any mechanical

holders used must be approved for safety by the USAT Organizing Committee or

a designated official prior to the competition.

4. Competitors and helpers will have three minutes to set up, perform the break and

remove all holders, broken boards and wood fragments. Exceeding the time will

result in 0.5 point deduction in the final score.

5. With the exception of approved mechanical board holders, no props such as

chairs, trampolines, tables, etc. may be used.

6. Each competitor is allowed only one attempt to complete their break.

7. Scores will be based on the total number of boards broken in the single attempt.

Boards must be completely broken in order to be counted in the score.

8. Boards must be purchased from USAT or a USAT-designated vendor at the

competition venue. Board security procedures for each event will be published

by USAT on or before the first day of registration. Under no circumstance will

competitors provide their own boards.

9. Standard board size: 12 inches by 10 inches and 3/4 inch thick (1 inch nominal)

Juniors (15-17 years old) may use spacers; spacers must be no more than 1/4

inch high.

10. Any attempt to alter the boards will result in disqualification of the competitor.


2. Scoring Procedure for Power Breaking Competition

2.1. The competitor will communicate the number of boards to be attempted, and the

number will be verified by the referee. The referee will announce the number of

boards successfully broken.

2.2. The Scorekeeper will record the number of boards attempted, and the number of

boards successfully broken.

2.3. In the event of a tie, the competitor who attempted to break the greatest number

of boards will be declared the winner.

If there is still a tie (i.e., two or more competitors with the same number of

boards), the competitor with the highest presentation score will be declared the

winner.

In the event there is still a tie, multiple medals will be awarded.

Power Breaking Score Sheet

Competitor #: Ring Number: Gender (circle): Male Female

Age (circle): 17 & Under 29 & Under 39 & Under 49 & Under 59 & Under Over 59

Judge’s Name: Signature: Judge Number:

Number of Boards Attempted

Number of Boards Successfully Broken

0.5 Penalty Deductions: Taking too much time, leaving the Contest Area, extreme poor sportsmanship, etc. (Use Ο for each deduction)

Deductions

Total Score

Presentation (Only to be used as tie-breaker if Percentage is tied)

Use of Correct Taekwondo Technique 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5

Style/Attitude/Expression of Energy & Confidence 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5

Total Presentation


—NOTES—


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